Italy residence permit FAQ: permesso, kit, questura, documents
In short
148 short answers to the questions asked most often in relocation chats about Italy, in 11 themes - from filing the kit and questura timing to banks, taxes and citizenship.
Pick a theme: the answers are on its page. Compiled from community experience and our own articles; figures and fees change, so verify the current details on official sites. This is not legal advice.
Updated: 2026-09-10
Permesso and the questura25
- How long does the permesso take after fingerprints?
- How do I check whether my permesso is ready?
- How many years is the first permesso issued for?
- How early should I file for the permesso renewal?
- What is a preavviso di rigetto and what should I do?
- How long can I stay outside Italy without losing the permesso?
- What is a nulla osta and how long is it valid?
- In which city does the questura issue the permesso faster?
- What is the Accordo di Integrazione and how many credits do I need?
- What do the permesso statuses "in trattazione" and "in istruttoria" mean?
- The police site says "non presente in archivio" - is that a refusal?
- "Pronto per la consegna" but no SMS - what now?
- Until when is temporary protection in Italy valid?
- Can temporary protection be converted into a work permesso?
- How many days ahead do you now apply for permesso renewal?
- Will I get an SMS when the permesso is ready?
- Which number do I enter on the police site to check the permesso?
- What is Prenota Facile?
- Do I need SPID for Prenota Facile?
- No free dates on Prenota Facile - what now?
- What is the questura and how does it differ from the prefettura?
- When do you have to go to the questura in person?
- The questura is silent - can you legally push it?
- How do you book the anagrafe for residenza?
- Do you need an intermediary (pomogayka) for an Italian permesso?
D visa and entry11
- Which permit should a remote worker pick: digital nomad or lavoro autonomo?
- What income do you need for the digital nomad visa?
- Does buying property in Italy give you a residence permit?
- How much passive income does residenza elettiva require?
- Do I need a Partita IVA when applying for the D visa?
- Can you move to Italy on a C tourist visa?
- What are the Decreto Flussi and the click day?
- How do you fly from Russia to Italy now?
- Where do you file for the Italian D visa?
- What is the difference between a visa centre and the consulate?
- How long does the Italian consulate take on a D visa?
The kit and the post office8
- What goes into the kit for the permesso?
- How many days do you have to file the kit after entry?
- How much does filing the kit cost?
- Where do you get the kit envelope and where do you hand it in?
- How do you fill in the kit modules without mistakes?
- What do you bring to fingerprinting at the questura?
- What is the ricevuta and why keep the original?
- Can you leave Italy on the ricevuta?
Documents and translations14
- How much do a sworn translation and an apostille cost?
- Can you translate documents once already in Italy?
- What is a dichiarazione di valore and when do you need it?
- Does the criminal record certificate need an apostille?
- How do you get a Russian criminal record certificate without leaving Italy?
- How do you issue a power of attorney for Russia while in Italy?
- How long does a new Russian passport take when applied for in Italy?
- Why get a second passport when applying for the D visa?
- Which documents should I legalize for my motive?
- How do you get a foreign degree recognized in Italy?
- Where do you get an apostille for Italy?
- How do you get SPID without a CIE and without a tessera sanitaria?
- Why does PosteID not accept a foreign passport?
- Can you get a carta d'identita without residenza?
Banks and money12
- Which Italian bank will open an account for a Russian citizen?
- Will they open an account without residenza, on the ricevuta alone?
- What is a conto di base and must the bank open one?
- How do you move money from Russia to Italy?
- What are the limits on taking money out of Russia?
- How much cash can you bring into Italy and pay in cash?
- Can you open Revolut or Wise on a D visa?
- Can a foreigner get a mortgage in Italy?
- Can I get a mortgage on a permesso di soggiorno?
- Can I receive a Russian pension while living in Italy?
- How do I safely cash out USDT to euros in Italy without getting scammed?
- What are a ruble reversal and a chargeback in P2P?
Taxes and work16
- What is the regime forfettario and what is the rate?
- What is the forfettario profitability coefficient?
- How much are INPS contributions for the self-employed?
- What is the impatriati regime?
- When do I become an Italian tax resident?
- I work remotely for a Russian company. Where do I pay taxes?
- How does Italy tax cryptocurrency?
- How do you open a Partita IVA?
- When is the Italian tax return due?
- How much of an Italian salary is net?
- What is RAL in an Italian job offer?
- Which INPS benefits can a foreigner with a permesso get?
- What can you do at a CAF or patronato for free?
- CAF or commercialista - who should you go to?
- How much does a commercialista cost in Italy?
- Do I need a commercialista on forfettario or can I do it myself?
Housing15
- Which rental contract works for the residence permit?
- How much money do you need upfront when renting?
- How do you terminate a rental contract early?
- How long until the vigile check after filing for residenza?
- What is the idoneita alloggiativa and where do you get it?
- Can you buy a home in Italy without a residence permit?
- What are voltura and subentro for electricity and gas?
- How does the 1 euro house program work?
- Which taxes do you pay when buying a home with a mortgage?
- How much is a one-bed rental in Italy?
- Can you rent a flat on just the ricevuta, without a permesso?
- How much money do you need up front to rent in Italy?
- Can you register residenza on the ricevuta, without the finished permesso?
- What does residenza give you in Italy?
- Where in Italy is renting cheapest?
Healthcare10
- Can you get a tessera sanitaria without residenza and the plastic permit?
- How long does the plastic tessera sanitaria take?
- What insurance do you need for the first year in Italy?
- How much does voluntary SSN enrollment cost?
- How do you register with a family doctor?
- What is the ambulance number in Italy?
- Will a hospital treat you without a tessera sanitaria?
- How do you find the Italian equivalent of a Russian medicine?
- Why is the health agency called something different in each region?
- Who enrols in the SSN for free, and who pays?
Family and children13
- What documents are needed to enroll a child in school?
- Will a school take a child without a permesso and residenza?
- What is the difference between ricongiungimento and coesione familiare?
- Can you work on a family permit?
- How do you invite your parents to visit Italy?
- What documents do you need to marry in Italy?
- How do you bring a cat or a dog to Italy?
- Is kindergarten mandatory and when does school start?
- What paperwork does a child need after birth in Italy?
- Does a child born in Italy get Italian citizenship?
- How do you get into a municipal nursery when places are scarce?
- What is bonus asilo nido and what does the amount depend on?
- Is assegno unico available to a foreigner?
Life in Italy15
- Can you drive in Italy on a Russian license?
- Can you rent a car with a Russian license?
- How do you get a codice fiscale?
- How do you calculate or decode a codice fiscale online?
- How does a foreigner get SPID?
- What is PEC and can you set it up in advance?
- Do you need a codice fiscale for an Italian SIM card?
- What are patronato and CAF and how do they help?
- How much does living in Italy cost per month?
- How do you sort waste in Italy and what is umido?
- Which Italian city is cheapest to live in?
- Why is insuring a car so expensive for a foreigner in Italy?
- How do I compare car insurance and when should I buy a policy?
- Which app should I install for transport in Italy?
- Does Uber work in Italy?
Citizenship9
- How many years of residence do you need for Italian citizenship?
- How soon after the wedding can you apply for citizenship by marriage?
- Do you have to renounce Russian citizenship?
- What Italian level do you need for citizenship?
- After how many years can you get the long-term EU permit?
- How did the referendum on 5-year citizenship end?
- How long does the citizenship application take?
- Where can you learn Italian for free and sit the A2 test for the permit?
- Which Italian exam do you need for citizenship - CILS, CELI or PLIDA?
The answers are community observations from different years and short digests of our articles, not official statistics or legal advice. Thresholds, fees and timings change regularly - cross-check with the primary sources: interno.gov.it, esteri.it, questure.poliziadistato.it, agenziaentrate.gov.it.
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